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ruveyn
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10 Apr 2012, 2:30 am

TM wrote:
Grebels wrote:
I am not happy about knowledge being wealth. Curiosity leading to knowledge may be a contributing factor to wealth. But surely the wealth is in what one does with the knowledge. Many people have great knowledge and all for nothing. Perhaps wisdom is more true to wealth than knowledge. Of course a wise and curious person can have much to offer.


I believe I stated that knowledge only has value if it can be converted into something you need.


Any knowledge that scratches a curiosity itch fills that description.

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Velociraptor
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10 Apr 2012, 10:27 pm

AudaciousLarue wrote:
What do you think of when someone mentions wealth? Do you think of endless dollar bills on top of endless piles of dollar bills, or a much different kind of wealth?

What is "real" wealth? Is it possessing the most money, or being "rich" as a person, regardless of how much money one possesses?

Just as a personal opinion, I'd side with the latter. Money is meaningless from a philosophical standpoint, and can never buy happiness.


Land and other physical assets are real wealth. Money is a number held in a computer, so it could be worth postit notes someday. So pretty much precious metal, land, not pretty stones that can be grown as diamonds are now, so yeah, land and things that come from the land that don't decompose. These are real wealth. Family is also a form of real wealth. Immortality is also a real wealth and very valuable form of it, with it comes life and life and time and that is a commodity like no other. Given a limitless number of years, all the other wealth can be accomplished. My recommendation, is life insurance. Buy it and use it gain immortality for you and your kids. You may think it's stupid, but life insurance is cheap for infants. Buy them access to cryonics.

I guess wealth is also the ability to get things done. To have service rendered.



Last edited by webcam on 10 Apr 2012, 10:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Velociraptor
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10 Apr 2012, 10:36 pm

Jacoby wrote:
money can buy a ton of happiness, dunno what people are talking about when they say it doesn't lol


Even if happiness isn't for sale, money can buy something to barter with that will allow you get happiness one way or another :) Or money can build what it is that makes you happy. It can give you the hope you need when you are down.

While money is technically worthless, its power is still worth alot to me. It can change things, it can bring you experience, it can give you a life in a distant land, you can put it where your mouth is.

I for instance would invest in starting a charitable company whose pursuit would be development of cheap immortality and promotion of expansion into space for everyone. We would argue for preserving resources for people to form new indy governments in space. Think about it. There are UN resolutions or laws that say space resources must be equally accessible to all nations on earth, but I'm not aware of any resolution that allows for the development of new space colony nations in space are you? What happens if someone wants to form their own nation of colonies? Will they be denied access to space resources because they never had land on space?



ruveyn
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11 Apr 2012, 11:22 am

webcam wrote:

I guess wealth is also the ability to get things done. To have service rendered.


Money is a catalyst for production and trade. It is a medium, not the end product.

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Grebels
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12 Apr 2012, 7:54 am

ruveyn wrote:
Money is a catalyst for production and trade. It is a medium, not the end product.
ruveyn


If we were doing Economics I suppose wealth is the creation of new material things from raw assets. However, in many cases other people than the producers are enjoying the wealth. I am sure you agree with that anyway.



ruveyn
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12 Apr 2012, 11:26 am

Grebels wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
Money is a catalyst for production and trade. It is a medium, not the end product.
ruveyn


If we were doing Economics I suppose wealth is the creation of new material things from raw assets. However, in many cases other people than the producers are enjoying the wealth. I am sure you agree with that anyway.


Indeed thetr are. One of the quirks of our economy is that it is possible to be rich without being productive. In the long run that is going to sink us.

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Velociraptor
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12 Apr 2012, 1:03 pm

ruveyn wrote:
webcam wrote:

I guess wealth is also the ability to get things done. To have service rendered.


Money is a catalyst for production and trade. It is a medium, not the end product.

ruveyn


Hmm... looks like miscommunication. "To have service rendered" is an addendum to the ability of wealth. That said, money, currency, bullets, canned food... whatever has value in the marketplace, that is wealth. Though this is still a miscommunication of how I feel. Perhaps wealth would better be defined as having equal access to life experience and providence for one's family? For instance, if in our marketplace we trade canned food for goods and services and in uptown they have gold, glitz, T-bone steaks and a life of privilege... canned food is only relative wealth, not absolute wealth, which would stem from equality in life and access to providence (I do not associate providence with any kind of religion or divinity cuz I'm an Atheist).

Wealth is also freedom from religion 8)